PLease help!! Mak can hardly hold temp

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turbov6camaro

New member
Hello

this is only my 5th cook, I cleaned out the firepit and stuff just the other day did a quick 3-4 hour cook that was just fine

Now today it got up to smoke temp just fine but then the temp started falling and it dropped to 150.

I bumped the temp to 200 and that didn't do much, I put it at 375 and it has taken a long time to heat and is still not there

it is currently at 290 and has been trying to heat for to 375 from 150 for 48 minutes, this usually only takes 10-15 minutes to do

the pellets are going down and the fan is working


I have to figure this out I have to cook a turkey in the morning for the family meeting :(

current outside temp is 40 (done lower than this before)

current pellets are the cookingpellets.com perfect mix
 
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turbov6camaro

New member
jimsbarbecue said:
I would guess try new pellets.
Click to expand...

yeah after my chicken was done I set it to high and let it burn all the pellets, wasn't much left. and then i just vacuumed it out, I guess a tiny but of rain must have got to the pellets.

I found a little wet spot, I vacuumed out everything, then primed it with fresh pellets for the morning

i guess i need to drain my pellet after every use!

hopefully everything is okay now
 
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Salmonsmoker

New member
I would do a test run right away to make sure the problem is solved. Don't want to wait until the next cook to find out you still have a problem.
 
mcschlotz

mcschlotz

Member
If rain got in? Do you cover your MAK when not using it? How long had the pellets been in the hopper prior to having the heat problem?
After a number of years using the MAK I've established two things to follow. Dump the pellets when done. Clean out the fireport prior to starting a smoke. Yes, these can be bypassed but you're then in a gamble situation and sooner or later you'll run into issues.
 
MAK DADDY

MAK DADDY

Moderator
Rain should not cause an issue unless the grill has sat unused for weeks (pellets can draw moisture over time from the air like a sponge). You don't need to dump out your pellets after every cook (again unless there are weeks between cooks). Cleaning out the fire pot is important after any long low temp smokes (like 3+hrs or so) as ash can build up in the pot and plug off the air holes. Some pellets create way more ash than others, after a while you will get a routine that works for you and the pellets you are using. BPS sells BBQ Delight pellets and they are some of the best made in my opinion.
If you continue to have issues contact us and we will help get them sorted out :)
 
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